Namibia’s horticulture exports have doubled in the last seven years having exported products worth N$1.77 billion for the 2022/23 financial year, a significant increase from N$674 million in 2016/17, official data reveals
According to the Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB), horticulture exports amounted to 86.2 tonnes for the 2022/23 financial year compared to 41.4 tonnes in 2016, representing a prospective growth of the sector.
“We are therefore calling for more investors to join the developing sector, so that we can also produce enough for local consumption, especially citrus fruits. Currently, what we produce is mainly for export, which includes table grapes, dates, blueberries, tomatoes, butternuts and green peppers,” NAB Chief Executive Officer Fidelis Mwazi said.
In addition, Mwazi said the majority of these products are high-value crops produced from the South of the country.
While addressing a group of Ghanaian businesses during a business seminar hosted by the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB), Mwazi said Namibia’s 2002 strategy on the promotion of the horticulture scheme has been able to make significant strides in boosting local production and consumption.
This, he said, started with the deliberate requirement of 2.5% of which all producers were supposed to market locally before exporting.
“Our aim is to reach 60% by 2025 so that 40% can be left for imports as we strive towards securing and promoting local market consumption. As it stands, we have a 47% threshold, this is something which we appreciated during Covid-19, when borders were closed, and thus, businesses were left with the option of sourcing from within. And we have made sure by enforcing compliance such as regular inspections,” he said.
He, therefore, invited Ghanaian business people to form an alliance so that they could benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area, adding that the current market is mainly the European Union.
